CONTENT STATEMENT
- The civilizations that developed in Greece and Rome had an enduring impact on later civilizations. This legacy includes governance and law, engineering and technology, art and architecture, as well as literature and history. The Roman Empire also played an instrumental role in the spread of Christianity.
CONTENT ELABORATION
The legacy of ancient Greece and Rome is embedded in Western culture. The ideas on governance and law were impacted by the concepts of citizenship and democracy that originated in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, as elaborated upon in Content Statement 17.
The legacy of the ancient Greeks includes direct democracy, astrolabe, pulley block, wood screw, ore smelting and casting, literature (e.g., fables, myths, epics, drama, comedy, tragedy), architecture (e.g., rectangular temples with tall columns), philosophy, and the study of history.
The legacy of the ancient Romans includes republic, Twelve Tables, checks and balances, tripartite government, civic duty, roads, basilicas, amphitheaters, aqueducts, arches, concrete, city/urban planning, frescoes, sculptures, and literature.
The spread of Christianity was aided by the network of roads built by the Romans. Although Christians were persecuted for centuries by the Romans; it eventually became the official religion of the empire.
EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING
Cite examples and explain the enduring impact that Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome had on later civilizations.